


New Beginnings

by StormyWhisper



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, High School, Oral Sex, Romance, Smut, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormyWhisper/pseuds/StormyWhisper
Summary: Nina comes back to her hometown after eight years. She starts to teach at her former high school, where she meets with some of her former teachers. And one of them is handsome Levi Ackerman; she had a crush on so many years before. However, she didn’t expect after so many years to slowly start to fall for him once again. Will he return the feelings of his former student?Mature for some further chapters, maybe I'll change it to explicit later ;)
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1 - Back home

„Put your shit together, Nina!“ I told myself in the car. How many years didn’t I come back here? Five years of studies and three years of working at a different school made it eight years in total. I sighed. I hoped I’d never had to go back, but life had a weird sense of humor. 

The worst thing was that it was in the middle of the school year, and I was supposed to start teaching literature. When Erwin Smith called me, the former director of Shiganshina high school, I was in a slight shock. One of the teachers got sick, and they were short of staff. It shouldn’t surprise me as much as it did. I knew that he was a friend with my cousin Hanji who told him about my availability. I left my previous work due to sexual harassment. Yes, the director was changed in the process, but I just couldn’t stay there. Not anymore. And in between jobs with a need to pay my bills, I signed the contract with Shiganshina high school. So here I was, nervous as never before.

I was thinking about teachers – was someone I knew there? I knew Hanji came back to teach two days a week. Maybe Mike as well. And there was one person I didn’t want to think about but to whom my thoughts still went - to Levi Ackerman – my mathematics teacher. 

I was wondering if he married Petra – I knew they were dating while I had been studying there. Eternally cynical Levi Ackerman and always smiling Petra with the kindest of hearts. I loved her lessons. She was one of the reasons why I have decided to study languages and literature. On the other hand, classes with her fiancé Levi hurt. In a sense, he was one of the best teachers – he could teach the stupidest person the basic rules of mathematics, but the lessons were still painful. Even though I loved watching him teach. Plus, he was a handsome man, and I envied Petra a little. But only a few. He was nevertheless a pain in the ass, and I believed that. But if literature teacher was missing, Petra probably didn’t teach anymore. But that was only a guess of mine.

I jumped up on the seat when someone tapped on the window of my car. I looked out to see Hanji’s smiling face. I smiled back and got out.

“Hello, Hanji!” I hugged her.

“Hello, hello. How are you?” Hanji asked me while we were walking through a parking lot toward the school building.

“Could be better,” I smiled lightly and chuckled, “but could be worse as well. I’m just nervous.”

“Don’t be!” she slapped my back, and I almost fell. 

“Hanji!” I shouted back at her and laughed. “Well… it’s good to be home.”

She dragged me towards the building. “You know, I cannot wait for you to meet everyone!” she was excited for me being there. We were close even though she was older than me.

“Ugh,” I ran fingers through my brown locks, “I wonder how many people stayed. You know, in comparison with the ones who taught me here.”

She stopped, and because she was grabbing me by my arm, I stopped as well. “Hm… well, Erwin. However, as a director, he doesn’t teach so much as in the past. Then there is me, of course,” she poked me and started to drag me inside the building. “Shorty still teach here now and then – he has a schedule for two days a week. He spends the rest of the week at his company…”

“Shorty?” I raised my eyebrows, and we stopped once again in the middle of the hall. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Tch, Shitty-glasses, nothing better to do than spreading that stupid nickname?” a familiar voice came from behind us. When I turned around, I spotted an even more familiar face of well-known Mr. Ackerman. 

“Aaay! Come on; it’s still better than Clean-freak, isn’t it?” 

“Tch,” that was the only sound he made while passing us. I blinked a few times before Hanji started to drag me toward the main office. I took a deep breath. Levi got lost behind the door, and soon, Hanji opened it for both of us.

“Get in, get in!” she pushed me in, and as she did so, I almost fell in on my face. I gave her an ugly look before I turned with sigh toward people inside the main office.

“Helloooooo, everyone!” Hanji jumped in and grabbed me by my shoulders. I had enough of catching and pushed her away as tenderly as possible, but she caught me again anyway. I sighed and let it be. “Let me introduce you, my beautiful and amazing cousin, Nina!” she shouted, and I cringed. Oh god, I loved her so much, but this side of her personality was so irritating. “She will take over Petra’s classes!”

Oh, that was a piece of information I was missing. Is Petra the one with cancer? I looked at Levi, who was leaning lazily against the wall by the window. His bored expression didn’t give anything away. 

“As you know, she is a former student of this high school! Maybe some of you even remember her sharp tongue!”

“Oh my god,” I sighed again and got out of her hands. “Thank you for the introduction. Lovely as always,” I said. 

“Ms. Simmons, it’s so nice to have you here,” Erwin Smith walked toward me. We shook hands. “Thank you for accepting my offer in the middle of the school year. I believe that teaching at our high school will be a great experience for you.”

I smiled at him and nodded: “I believe that as well, even though I promised I’d never come back at any costs. Well, here I’m.” I laughed. Why the hell did I tell him that?!

He laughed as well and turned toward the rest of the colleagues: “As Hanji mentioned, Nina Simmons will take over Petra’s classes. If I remember correctly, you’re one of her best students. She’s thrilled that someone like you takes over.”

I smiled at him. Petra remembered me, that was nice. However, my eyes wandered once again toward Levi, who didn’t lean against the wall anymore. Instead, he shoved his back to us while watching out of the window. I could see a teacup in his hand. He still loved tea, that was nice. I remember it pretty well.

“Okay, everyone. We aren’t children anymore, and I believe that Hanji is dying over there to introduce all of you to Nina, so,” he squeezed my shoulder a little, “good luck with that.”

Afterward, he left the main office, probably going to his own. Hanji dragged me by my hand again directly toward Levi.

“Levi!” she slammed her hips into his own, and he nearly spilled tea. He looked at her angrily before his eyes met my own. I smiled; he didn’t. Okay.

“Levi, this is my cousin Ni-“

“Yeah, you’re babbling about her for the last two weeks,” he interrupted her. “You grew up.”

I blinked for a few times: “You remember me,” I stated. 

Levi nodded: “As Erwin mentioned, you’re one of the favorite students of my ex-fiancé. I never understood why you did pretty shitty in my class.”

I blinked again. What the fuck?! I didn’t! Mathematics wasn’t my most favorite subject, but it didn’t mean I sucked at it but did he say ex-fiancé? I shook my head to clear my thoughts before answering.

“Well, in that case,” I smiled, “you’re in fault because I didn’t have a problem with any other subject.”

“No one is perfect,” he said while his eyes traveled down and up my body. I frowned. Did he do that, or was it my imagination? “And the fact you did shitty doesn’t mean you didn’t pass excellently. Numbers just aren’t your cup of tea, I believe.”

I nodded: “You’re right. I’ve always been better with words.”

“Then it’s good you’ve decided for languages, isn’t it?” he smiled and looked at his watch afterward. He smiled; it was an unprecedented phenomenon to see him smile. “If you pardon me, I must go. Shitty-glasses,” he nodded toward Hanji before making his way out of the office.

“Okay, that was awkward as hell,” Hanji spilled out. “But never mind. MIKE! Do you remember NINA?!” she shouted and dragged me toward him, again. I’ll have to talk to her about that stupid dragging.

  
*

My first day got pretty well; I thought to myself while sitting in my office. This school was short of staff as I got office only for myself. I looked at the empty seat in front of me. It belonged to Petra. Levi mentioned that they were not together anymore; I wondered why it was so. They were so in love – it was that kind of love anyone would like to experience. But somehow it didn’t last. 

I shook my head and thought about my new students instead of that. I taught in four classes in total – two second-year classes, one-third year and one last year class. I enjoyed the most the last class I taught. There were bright students, almost adults who were prepared for the world itself. Or they thought that at least. I didn’t want to be the one who would show them otherwise – if they had any classes with Levi, they already knew that. 

A soft knock at my door pulled me out of my thoughts. 

“Come in,” I said when the door was already opening. I frown, but when I saw Levi’s face, I relaxed a little.

“Hello,” I said. Instead of greeting me back, Levi only frowned and tapped his foot lightly.

“4th years’ class book is missing. You’re the last one who had a class with them. Do you have it?”

“Ehm, yeah,” I said and started to look around me. Yes, I had it. I remembered taking it, but as it was the last of my classes, I forgot to make it to the main office. 

“Give it to me, brat. That’s my class.”

He had his class? That surprised me. I remembered he didn’t want any responsibility like that before, and if Hanji’s words were right, he worked here only part-time, why would he have his class?

“Would it be today, brat?!” 

I froze at my place. Brat? Really? He still called people brats? After so many years?

“I have it somewhere here. I forgot to take it to the main office, sorry,” I whispered under the nose while going through papers on my table. I couldn’t find it. I started to sweat. Such a thing never happened to me before! My eyes fell on the class book. I grabbed it, and while taking it from the table, all the remaining papers fell to the ground.

“Fuck!” I cursed loudly. I threw the class book on the other table for Levi to take it and knelt to collect papers that were practically everywhere. For god’s sake!

“Tch,” Levi clicked his tongue while kneeling beside me. “You’re clumsy as ever.”

I frowned but didn’t comment. When we were done, he grabbed his class book prepared to leave.

“How come you have your class?”

He stopped in the middle of motion before turning back to me: “Why do you care?”

I blinked a few times before answering: “I remember you saying that it’s not your cup of tea and while you work here only part-time…”

“It was Petra’s class,” he interrupted me. “No one was willing to take over those brats, so I did.”

“Oh, okay,” I said and sat down. “That’s nice of you.”

Without any further comment, he stormed out of my office. Okay, he didn’t change a bit, I thought to myself and started to prepare something for tomorrow’s classes. 


	2. Chapter 2 - Lady Macbeth

“Nina!” Hanji stopped me before I could get into my car. She ran toward me, closing the door before I could do so.

“Let’s go grab dinner!” 

“Ooookay,” I said. “Where do y-“

“Not only you and me, the close circle,” she raised her eyebrows playfully for a few times before grabbing me again.

“Stop it with that stupid grabbing and dragging and all that annoying stuff!” I shouted. She giggled and let go of my arm.

“Sorry, I’m just so excited. You know?”

“Yeah, I see,” I said while walking beside her. “What the hell is the close circle?”

“Just me and a few colleagues of ours. Erwin, Mike, Moblit, and Levi. Petra used to go out with us all the time before she broke up with Levi,” she shrugged her shoulders and stopped near her car. “And as you don’t know anybody in the town anymore, I thought it would be nice for you to go out. With us.”

“Thank you for thinking about me,” I muttered under my nose while getting into her car. 

“No worries, cousin! I think about you all the time!” she laughed while she started to back out of the parking space. She almost hit into the car of someone else.

“Hanji!” I shouted at her, looking behind. She only giggled and waved toward the person behind us.

“It’s only Shorty; he’ll forgive me. No worries.”

Oh, so Levi was in the other car. Hanji put something on the radio, and we drove without talking for a while. But I had to ask.

“How come Levi and Petra aren’t together anymore?” 

“Hm, interesting question, Nina. How something like that comes up in your mind, hm? Still have that weird crush on your mathematics’ teacher?”

“Definitely not!” I realized that such a reaction told otherwise. “I just… they looked so…” I didn’t finish my sentence.

“In love?” Hanji giggled. “Yeah, they looked. Well, as much as Levi can show love.”

“But… how come…”

Hanji shrugged while turning left. I looked behind the car and saw Levi’s car following us. 

“She started to teach a few classes at the local university. Levi started to build his own company. He didn’t have a lot of time and her… you know how delicate Petra has been. She still is. She needs love and attention,” she signed, “and he didn’t have time to show her he cares. She fell in love with her colleague.”

“Oh,” I turned back toward the window. “That must hurt him.”

“You know, some love stories aren’t epic novels. Some are short stories, but that doesn’t make them any less filled with love.”

I laughed. “Someone watched too many episodes of Sex and the city.”

“Well, it’s a good show for lonely evenings.”

“Yeah, it is,” I smiled while watching the building we were passing.

*

We stopped near a restaurant which must be somehow new. It wasn’t there while I lived in this town, at least. Levi parked next to us. 

“You’ll kill someone one day, Shitty-glasses,” he commented toward Hanji. She simply stuck out her tongue and walked toward the restaurant. I waited for Levi and walked toward it with him.

“Do you meet for dinner regularly?” I asked with a smile.

“Every Tuesday for dinner, every Saturday for drinks,” he answered without looking at me. When we got toward the door, he opened it for me, and I smiled gratefully. I felt butterflies in my stomach, which was weird – I didn’t feel like that for a longer time. Oh god, I hope that that stupid crush of mine isn’t awaking again, I thought to myself. 

Hanji already sat behind one of the tables with Mike, Moblit, and Erwin. I wanted to walk toward the table, but Levi stopped me by touching my arm. 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked, his eyes sincere. I nodded and walked with him to a corner.

“How can I help you?” I smiled at him to encourage him even though I knew he didn’t need anything like that. However, it was something I learned to do as a teacher – many students were too shy to talk about things, which made them worried. 

He sighed: “There is student in my class –talented but brat nonetheless.”

I chuckled.

“Yeah. Well, she needs some guidance I’m not able to provide as I teach mathematics and do business, not a kind of guidance she needs. I’ve never been good with words. But…” he shrugged, “her parents were murdered, and she found some kind of piece in writing.”

I interrupted him: “Are you talking about Mikasa?”

He nodded. 

“She is your niece, isn’t she?” 

He nodded again.

“I read about her sad story in the paper. She looks smart, really quiet, but once she opens her mouth, she…”

“Yeah, I know her, brat. I know what she is capable of,” he interrupted me, obviously annoyed. “I take care of her, but I’m not able to help her with writing shits and stuff, so I wanted to ask you for help.”

“I’ll help as much as she allows me to help her,” I smiled.

“Okay, thanks.”

I made a move toward the table, but he stopped me again. I looked at him, my eyebrows raised.

“I’m sorry about what happened at school you had been teaching at before. That man was a fucker.”

I swallowed and nodded: “Yeah. He was. But, he’s gone now, so I believe he won’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“Did he…” he let go of my arm out of sudden. I had to think for a moment before I realized he was asking if I was one of his victims.

“No,” I reassured him, “he didn’t touch me. I was too old for him,” I smiled with disgust and shook my head. “I just couldn’t stay there anymore. My job there was done.”

“You did great.”

He started to walk toward the rest of the group, so I joined him. He knew about what happened at my previous job. I wondered if Hanji told him or if he read it somewhere. Both versions were possible. 

“Miss Simmons,” Erwin smiled at me, “how was your first day at work?”

“Better than I expected. All the students were nice and…”

“Don’t say that. Many of them are stupid morons,” Levi said while sitting down.

“Levi,” Erwin scolded him with his eyes, “that’s not the way how we’re supposed to talk about students.”

“It’s not, but that’s the truth. I deny talking about it differently,” he took the menu from the table and started to read today’s offer.

“What else could I expect from you, huh,” Erwin looked back at me. “Would it be okay to call each other by the first name?”

“Of course not!” I reached out to him: “Nina.”

“Erwin,” he gladly shook my hand and let go of it after a minute. “So we heard that your previous job experience was rather challenging.”

“Yeah, well…” I bit my lower lip and saw it caught Levi’s eyes. I swallowed and continued talking: “It could be better, but I’m happy that pig is behind bars. I hope he’ll rot there.”

“I believe that,” Mike said and sniffed the air. I forgot about that habit of his. “I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you to collect the evidence. Or rather say make his victims talk.”

I looked down on my hands, which I was clenching in my lap: “There were colleagues who helped me. The police department helped a lot as well. I just…” I sighed, “I was just a great listener.”

“Come on, Nina!” Hanji hit my back, and I tsked in pain. “You did great concerning circumstances. The best teachers are the best psychologists.”

“And you’re the best, Shitty-glasses, with your constant humbling,” Levi said, not watching me closely anymore. He simply studied the menu, and after a few seconds, he put it down on the table. “I believe that you scare the shit out of your students with that attitude of yours.”

“Come on, Shorty! That’s not true at all!” Hanji seemed offended, but she still laughed. What kind of relationship two of them had was beyond my understanding. I let it go and took the menu Levi put down and looked at the offer. 

I thought if I want to eat meat or while Hanji was talking about what happened to her during the weekend when Levi interrupted my thoughts.

“If you like vegetarian meals,” he leaned toward me, “I recommend you chickpeas kari. I don’t know how that man in that kitchen does it, but it’s unbelievably tasteful.”

I smiled at him gratefully and nodded: “Thank you. I hate choosing my meal at a new restaurant. I have no idea what I can expect.”

“Yeah, you looked lost,” he leaned back into his seat when he saw the waiter coming. While everyone was ordering, I looked at Levi. He got older, that’s for sure, but instead of some additional wrinkles on his face, he was the same. That undercut of his, some gray hair in between raven black locks, deeply grey color of his eyes, he was the same man I had a crush on so many years ago. 

I shook my head and started to play with a napkin placed on the table, unaware of his intense glare. I just wanted not to be so reckless as when I was a teenager. I was an adult, I went through so many shits I lost my count, and I just wanted to live my life peacefully. But I simply couldn’t stop thinking about the man with grey orbs who was getting under my skin slowly once again.

*

“Okay, guys,” I looked at my class with a smile. “Let’s talk about Shakespeare as it’s a must when you want to graduate high school.”

Everyone moaned desperately, and I laughed.

“Come on! Shakespeare is the king of his era. Which works did he write?” 

A boy with blond hair raised a hand. I looked down on his name tag, before calling him out: “Armin!”

“He wrote tragedies and comedies as well. Between his most famous tragedies belong, Hamlet, Othello, Romeo, and Juliet.”

“Thank you, Armin!” I smiled at him. “Who can tell us some of his comedies? Ymir?”

Ymir sighed as if I wanted her to climb a skyscraper: “I don’t know all of them, but Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of my favorites. And As You Like It.”

“Great. Armin forgot about one genre, which is historical plays. Does someone know which plays belong in this category? And what’s their main focus? Mikasa?” I called out Levi’s niece. She was hiding her face behind her scarf.

“His historical plays cover English history from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Every play is named after, and focused on, the reigning monarch of the period. One of them is Henry IV, Henry VI, or Richard III.”

“Thank you, Mikasa,” I smiled at the girl who blushed a little. “Okay, but there is one play everyone forgot to mention, and it’s my all-time favorite tragedy. I believe that your previous teacher focused mainly on Hamlet or Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I’d like to talk to about different play I have in mind. It’s Macbeth.”

I saw Mikasa straighten up on the chair and that most of the students were alert. I smiled. I knew that most teachers focused primarily on the outline of books recommended to read for the graduation exam, but those things were already taught during their previous years. I wanted to teach them something new, to show them that literature is so much more as that stupid outline. I believed I could make a difference in their perception of literature.

“Did any of you read Macbeth?” I asked while I sat down on my table. Mikasa and Armin raised their hands, Ymir joined them after a moment of hesitation. “Three of you. That’s more than I expected.”

I made myself comfortable while grabbing the book from my table. “I fell in love with Shakespeare when I realized how complex his characters were. And Lady Macbeth belongs between the most powerful women in literature’s history. My most favorite part of the whole plays is Lady Macbeth’s monologue from Act 1, Scene 5. I’d like to read it out loud. I’ve chosen a modern English version as the original is hard to understand.”

I bit down on my lower lip and shook my head: “You know what? It would be better if someone from the class read that monologue. Mikasa?” I asked the raven-haired girl. She blushed but stood up and walked toward me. I handed her my book, which she took into her hands gently. 

“Please, only read this part,” I pointed on the text. She nodded, took a deep breath, and started to read with a steady and somehow insane voice I still imagined Lady Macbeth to talk with during that scene.

“Come out, damned spot! Out, I command you! One, two. Okay, it’s time to do it now.—Hell is murky!—Nonsense, my lord, nonsense! You are a soldier, and yet you are afraid? Why should we be scared, when no one can lay the guilt upon us?—But who would have thought the old man would have had so much blood in him?”

I opened my eyes; I didn’t even realize I closed and smiled at Mikasa. “Thank you; you can sit down now.”

She handed me my book back and, with lowered head, rushed to her seat. 

“Okay. Most of you didn’t read this play, but do you have any guess about what that monologue was? What kind of scene it was?”

Everyone was quiet. I stood up from the table and started to walk in between them with the book in my hands. “Okay, so – come out, damned spot! Out, I command you!” I stopped in the middle of the class and put the book down. I started to rub my hands as if I was washing them while repeating the phrase: “Okay, so- come out, damned spot! Out, I command you!” 

One of the students raised his hand; I looked down on his name tag: “Yes, Reiner? What do you think?”

“Well, it looks like to want to rub something from your hands. But it looks like it’s not there, right?”

I nodded and waited for him to continue: “When Mikasa only read it without acting, it didn’t give a sense but… you looked pretty hm, not guilty, but if you read it whole again?”

I nodded and grabbed the book.

“Come out, damned spot! Out, I command you! One, two. Okay, it’s time to do it now.—Hell is murky!—Nonsense, my lord, nonsense! You are a soldier, and yet you are afraid? Why should we be scared, when no one can lay the guilt upon us?—But who would have thought the old man would have had so much blood in him?”

When I stopped, I realized that the door of the class was opened. I looked there, Levi was standing there watching me closely. I turned my gaze back to Reiner.

“So?” I asked encouragingly. 

“Not, it’s not guilt. Maybe some suppressed guilt but rather as if she was angry at someone for not taking action. Or for being guilty if he had taken that action.”

I nodded and looked at my watch. It was the end of the class. During the first half an hour, I was asking them what they already covered for their state exam. Afterward, I wanted to focus more on topics they didn’t focus so much on before. I sighed.

“Okay, guys. I would like you to write a few paragraphs about this particular monologue till next week. Think about what it could mean; what possibly happened before this monologue. Write down your thoughts, your emotions, anything. If you didn’t read it, please, don’t try to read online what the scene is about and what about the whole play is. We will find out together next week. But I want you to think out of the box. To focus on the emotions and the situation in which Lady Macbeth was. Could you do that for me?”

Everyone happily agreed. I walked toward my desk, grabbed my things, and wanted to walk to Levi, who was still patiently standing at the door, but someone touched me. I turned toward that person and found out it was Mikasa.

“Mikasa,” I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me rather shyly.

“I just wanted to… thank you. Macbeth belongs between my most beloved works from Shakespeare. I loved that scene with…” she swallowed, looked around her, leaned toward me, and whispered: “non-existent blood she wants to erase from her hands.”

“It’s nice to hear that. You know what, Mikasa?”

She raised her eyebrows in expectation.

“Can you team up with Armin and Ymir, as both of them read the play too, and prepare something about Macbeth? Instead of analysis of that scene?”

She nodded happily.

“Great. Thank you, Mikasa. This lesson was a pleasure.”

“The same here, Ms. Simmons,” she said and went back to her seat where Armin already stood by and another boy as well. I frowned but continued toward Levi, who let you exit the class as the first one, then he followed you.

“Tch, Macbeth,” he stated with a shook of his head, “I’ve never been fun of fiction, doesn’t matter from which year, but you got them there. And as hard as it is to admit it aloud, you got me there as well.”

I chuckled and shook my head: “I know. A little bit of performance and a friendly smile with passion in the eyes can do a lot. Not every student was caught on, though. I believe that some of them won’t enjoy the assignment I gave them.”

“They aren’t here to enjoy it.”

“I don’t agree,” I fired back. 

“Whatever,” he said and stopped in front of the main office, “but that’s not what I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Oh,” I scratched my head with my free hand, “what did you want to discuss?”

He signed: “As you know, I took over the class because Petra is sick. But their graduation ceremony ball or how the fuck to call it is coming,” I smiled at his choice of words but let him finish, “and I’m not the type to take care of such things. They have the date, there is a place booked, but they need to help with everything else and…”

“Like meetings with their parents, program, and who knows how many speeches?”

He nodded: “Yeah, exactly. I wanted to ask Shitty-glasses for help, but she is too excited and too loud for me to bear with right know. And you look like you care about your students even though you know shit about them.”

I smirked: “Yeah, I do care about my students. That’s true. So…”

“We have a meeting tomorrow after the last class. It’s at 2 p.m. It’s without parents, for now, the one with parents is next week. And only with the ones who want to help out.”

“I’d love to help you out, Levi.”

He opened the door for me: “Thank you, Nina.”

“You’re welcome,” I said. I was happy that he was finally behind and couldn’t see me blush. Because oh god, I couldn’t help myself, but the more he talked to me, the more I fell for him, and that’s a thing I didn’t want to happen yet with anyone after the relationship I had. But it was hard to resist the man I secretly loved as a teenager from a distance. I remembered that he was 24 when he started to teach at my high school. If my math was correct, he was currently 36 years old. I was almost 26. 

I shook my head as I put down my things and the class book in its place on the shelf. He just needed help with something he didn’t appreciate to do; I could do that without it being awkward.

My eyes found his silhouette near the window. He was drinking his tea. Oh God, Nina, get out of here! I thought angrily and left the office immediately.


	3. Chapter 3 - Not your fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear all,
> 
> if possible you can listen to rock cover of Nightmare by Halsey here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKbHjjZXdmc :) Performed by Halocene :)

I sat down on my bed and turned on Netflix on TV. I was thinking about everything that happened during the last few weeks. I met with Levi’s class, with parents who wanted to help out somehow. The program itself was almost finished, and every single person in Levi’s class helped. I enjoyed the company of every student; even people like Armin, Annie, or Berthold participated in the program’s preparation. I was happy that the quietest students wanted their night to be about them as well, not only about others. For example, Eren was a showman, Reiner, and Jean as well. They were practically fighting who should be present more in the program; it made me laugh happily every single time.

Additionally to that, I became a regular member of the inner circle of teachers and grabbed dinner with them every week. Nevertheless, they never asked me to go out with them on drinks on Saturdays. It hurt me, but it wasn’t their fault. I was rather happy that they’re willing to spend some time with me outside of school; it made me less lonely.

I signed and put on Brooklyn 99, believing it could make me feel a little bit better. I grabbed a bunch of papers students gave me. I smiled when I remembered the class we analyzed Macbeth. Since then, I made them participate in my classes more and more. I believed that active participation is the key for students to fall in love with fiction, and I hoped I did a great job. We moved to the romantic period, which didn’t belong between my favorite periods in literature, but working with the class made it more bearable. Armin and Mikasa prepared a beautiful presentation, and we even performed some of the scenes in classes for them to grasp better what was the most typical about this particular period. On my lap currently sat papers written by them about why humans returned to darker places in the literature compared to the Renaissance. I signed. I loved teaching.

When I grabbed Mikasa’s paper, I smiled. She was something else. Her style of writing was unbelievable. She was able to find her way with words, which reminded me of me at her age. I discussed with her the possibility of publishing some of her essays in our local paper. She was at first dismissive but then agreed. Every single of her classmates promised they’d buy Monday’s paper just to read her reviews. It made me happy.

I started to read essay after essay occasionally laughing on jokes that fell on the show. I didn’t know how much time passed when a bell ripped me out of action. Papers fell out of my hands. I signed angrily and went toward the door.

“Yes?” I asked when picking up the phone.

“Tch,” a familiar voice sounded through it, “it’s me. We are going to go for drinks to the town. We’re wondering if you want to join us?”

Levi came here to ask me out with them? I swallowed and answered: “Ehm, I’m not really ready for going anywhere. I started to read…”

“It’s not like we’re going to some kind of ball in the opera. We’re going to get drunk; you don’t have to look like a fucking princess.” I held my breath for a moment when he suddenly added: “Plus, Hanji'll blow a hole in my head if you don't come.”

Hanji. It was her work, of course. I signed: “Come up, I need to get ready. Go on the third floor; I’ll leave the door open for you.” I didn’t wait for the answer, I just hit the phone back on the holder and opened the door.

I found my back with make-up and mirror and sat down on the sofa. I brushed my hair a little when I heard a slight knock on the door. After a second, Levi appeared in the hall and closed the door behind it.

“Do you really plan to put that shit on your face now?” he asked while taking down his shoes.

“If any of you called me beforehand, I’d be done by now. Unfortunately, you’ve decided to come personally, so wait,” I said. I put my brown hair into a high ponytail before leaning for the mirror. “So, how is your Saturday so far?” I asked after he sat down next to me.

“Nothing different than usual,” he started to talk, watching me put make-up on my face. “I finished some shits concerning accounting at my company, and I graded a few tests. Students are bigger and bigger morons every single year.”

“Hm,” was the only sound I made. However, I probably sounded disapproving.

“Don’t you agree, brat?”

I applied eyeliner on both eyes before replying: “No, I don’t.” He sat there quietly, waiting for me to continue, but I didn’t.

“How come?” he sounded annoyed. I smirked.

“I know that you’re just saying shits which you don’t mean. Well,” I scratched my head and applied mascara on one eye, “you have a weird way of showing that you care. Thus everyone is brat, moron, idiot, or shithead. But you care nevertheless. I saw in the class book that most of your students pass with excellent grades, so your weird way of teaching is working. I’ve never understood that as your student, and I don’t understand it now as your colleague. But it works.” When I was done with both of my eyes, I threw mascara back into the bag.

“It doesn’t change a thing about them being morons. I can barely read what they wrote down sometimes. That Yeager kid?” he shook his head. “I have no fucking idea how Mikasa can have a crush on him.”

I froze in the middle of the movement. “Mikasa has a crush on Eren?”

Levi nodded with a smirk: “Yeah. She thinks I don’t know, but fuck! It’s so obvious that even blind can see it. Except for that stupid kid,” he paused, “and you.”

I put on red lipstick and check my appearance in the mirror. I was quite content with my look-

“You look nice,” Levi interrupted the silence. I looked at him with a smile before standing up.

“Thank you,” I said with a cheer in my voice. “And concerning Eren and Mikasa, well,” I paused before disappearing behind the door of my room, “he seems like a person who can get lost in himself,” I shrugged. “He’s a good kid; he just has to grow up a little. Mikasa is…”

“Mikasa is too mature for her age, I know,” Levi nodded and waved at me. “Go change your clothes, finally. I cannot wait for a cup of good whiskey.”

I laughed and did as he asked me to do.

*

“Where are we going?” I asked Levi while walking toward to city center.

“To a rock pub. I’ve never been there before. I think it’s called Helldorado or some similar bullshit name,” he said. He was walking with his hands in pockets, which made me quite nervous. What if he tripped? However, I didn’t comment on it. It was not my place to do so.

“How co-“

He interrupted me before I finished the sentence: “Every week one of us picks a pub or a bar we’ll visit. This week it was Shitty-glasses’ choice, and as you see, her choices are shit as hell.”

I laughed. We were walking quietly for the rest of the walk. Levi stopped in front of Helldorado – so he remembered the name correctly.

“She said that some of our students would perform today,” he signed. “They’re from my class. I told her that I don’t need to see or hear any of those brats during the weekends, but she doesn’t give a shit. So here we are,” he motioned me to get in, and I obliged.

I was astounded when I walked into the bar. Old music plates, cassettes, and CDs were hung everywhere on the walls. There was a small podium on the left side of the bar where a band was preparing for its performance. I recognized Annie, Berthold, Reiner, and… Armin? Really? It surprised me, but I smiled instead and waved at him when he saw me. He blushed and waved at me back, before going back to tuning the guitar.

“Hello, guys!” Hanji started to wave at me and Levi as insane. I laughed while Levi only frowned. We moved toward the table and sat down. There were Erwin and Mike already as well; only Moblit was missing. “You made it in time!” she said excitedly.

“Tch,” was the only sound Levi made while trying to find a waiter with his eyes.

“Yeah. It was entirely unexpected for Levi to come to my place,” I chuckled and made myself more comfortable. The band started witch checking everything; soon, they would start with their show.

Hanji looked at Levi, who raised his eyebrows in a quiet challenge. She didn't comment on it, and her attention was back on me. I frowned but didn’t say anything, either.

“So Moblit is not coming tonight, he went to visit his brother.”

“That’s the reason you’ve decided to ask me out? You’re missing a person in your group?” I asked with a smirk.

“No, no, no! That’s not why!” she said offended. “I had this plan in my mind for a while now,” she petted her head, “that I’d like to introduce you to our Saturday night with something special. And what is more special than our own students’ show?!” she clapped her hands on the table.

“They wanted to invite you on their own,” Erwin interrupted. “But Hanji asked them not to do so because of this wonderful plan of hers,” he looked at her lovingly, and I realized that director Smith was probably secretly in love with a cousin of mine. Wow. I was blind, as Levi stated before.

“Finally!” Levi said when the waiter appeared at our table. “Triple whiskey.”

“The usual sir?” he asked, and Levi only nodded. So it was not the first time he came here, such a liar.

Mike ordered beer and vodka, Erwin went for the same choice as Levi while Hanji couldn’t decide which drink she should have.

“Shitty-glasses, choose already, you idiot!” Levi said, obviously annoyed. I giggled and saw that a smirk appeared on his face. Nice.

“I’ll have rum. Triple. And a coke.”

“Yes, miss.”

“And bring that four-eyed woman mojito. But please,” I smiled sweetly, “a little bit spiced up in comparison with usual, if possible.”

“Yes, madam,” he tapped his feet and was gone.

“Oh, Nina! You’re my savior!” Hanji hugged me and started to hop excitedly on her chair. “I can’t wait for the show to st-“

“Oy, brat! What are you doing here?!” Levi’s voice interrupted Hanji. I looked toward the near table and saw Mikasa. There were other students as well, including Eren, Ymir, Historia, Connie, and Sasha. They looked like if they saw a ghost out of sudden.

“Really, Levi?” Mikasa asked, not moved at all. “We came here to see our friends perform. Is that illegal?”

I totally forgot that Mikasa lived with Levi for time-being. He didn’t seem happy about seeing her there, but she was an adult-like every single person at that table. I smiled at her.

“Hello, Mikasa. Hello, all,” I waved at them. “Excited for the show?”

“Miss Simmons,” she smiled back at me, somehow pleased to see me. “Yes. I saw them playing in their rehearsal room, but it’s not the same.”

“Yeah, you’re right! Enjoy your night. I’ll take care of that uncle of yours,” I winked at her. She said a quiet thank you before sitting down. I turned toward Levi: “Dare to do something inappropriate, and I’ll kick that sexy as of yours!” I said, in-between my teeth. “They are adults; they can enjoy a concert of their classmates. They can drink a little. Be happy she isn’t secretive about it and look; you’re here to help her if anything bad happens.”

He gritted his teeth as he saw the waiter put a few beers on their table but didn’t comment. He simply looked at the band that was ready to start with their performance. The waiter moved to us, putting everything down. Levi told him to bring him another triple whiskey, which shocked me a little, so I repeated my order as well, and so did everyone else. He didn’t pay much attention to any of us, so I looked at the group.

“Good evening, Shinganshina!” Annie said into the microphone, which was followed by the ovation. “I didn’t hear from you! GOOD EVENING, SHINGANSHINA!”

People started to scream even louder, and I had to put my hands on my ears. I laughed while doing so, shooking my head at the energy that band of my students was able to create with a few words.

“The first song we’ll perform tonight is cover of one of Halsey’s songs. Nightmare. Enjoy the night, Shinaganshina!”

Berthold behind the drums started to clap the drumsticks at each other, and the band began to perform. It was a rock cover of one of my most favorite songs. I didn’t really like Halsey’s music, but this one, this one hit me hard.

_“Now I lay me down to sleep_  
_I pray the Lord, my soul to keep_  
_If I shall die before I 'wake_  
_I pray the Lord, my soul to take_  
_I, I keep a record of the wreckage of my life_  
_I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind_  
_They talk shit, but I love it every time_  
_And I realize”_

Annie’s voice echoed through the bar, and I closed my eyes. She had a sweet and a little bit hoarse voice.

_“I've tasted blood and it is sweet_  
_I've had the rug pulled beneath my feet_  
_I've trusted lies and trusted men_  
_Broke down and put myself back together again_  
_Stared in the mirror and punched it to shatters_  
_Collected the pieces and picked out a dagger_  
_I've pinched my skin in between my two fingers_  
_And wished I could cut some parts off with some scissors”_

When I opened my eyes, I found Levi staring at me while sipping on his whiskey. I smiled and winked at him; he didn’t smile back. He simply looked back on the band, but I could see a smirk appearing on his lips. I shivered.

“Nina, are you cold?” Mike leaned toward me. I shook my head slightly.

“Goosebumps from Annie’s voice,” I replied, avoiding telling him the truth.

_“"Come on, little lady, give us a smile"_  
_No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about_  
_I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for_  
_A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing”_

I was listening to Annie’s angry voice, remembering my relationship; I left only a few months ago. It was shortly after I found out about the first girl being harassed by our director. My whole world shredded to pieces, and everyone asked me to smile, to be happier about my accomplishments. To be proud of my job as a teacher. But the truth was, I failed them. I failed those girls. I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late, and too many lives were infected by that piece of shit who called himself a man. There was literally no reason to smile.

_“No, I won't smile, but I'll show you my teeth_  
_And I'ma let you speak if you just let me breathe_  
_I've been polite, but won't be caught dead_  
_Lettin' a man tell me what I should do in my bed_  
_Keep my exes in check in my basement_  
_'Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you're complacent_  
_I could play nice, or I could be a bully_  
_I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be”_

I didn’t realize when Levi change his place and sat down next to me, leaning toward my face and whispering into my ear: “It’s not your fault. You did your best.”

I looked at him. His hand was draped over the back of my chair. His lips and face were so close to mine I couldn’t breathe. How come he knew what I was thinking?

_“Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware_  
_But I'd rather be a real nightmare, than die unaware, yeah_  
_Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware_  
_But I'm glad to be a real nightmare, so save me your prayers”_

“I can see guilt in someone’s eyes. I can see it every single day in my owns,” he whispered in my ear. Well, whispered – but due to noise the band made, no one could hear him except me. “But you must realize that it’s not your fault. You can’t live like this; it can destroy you.”

He felt guilty because of his sister's murder, I realized. I looked at him and touched his face lightly. He covered my hand with his own. He was right, he wasn’t in fault, but despite everything, he made himself guilty. As if he could change anything about what happened.

I leaned my forehead against his and nodded weakly. He was right, but it was hard to depersonalize.

“You did your best, Nina,” he repeated himself. “The best you could concerning the circumstances. As I did. Remember that we cannot save everyone in time. But we can save them nevertheless. They’ll be wounded,” he swallowed, “but they still can live their lives.”

_“I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night_  
_That I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night.”_

Annie finished the song. Levi leaned away and clapped as the rest of the people did in the pub. I did so as well while watching Levi closely. What just happened between us? I didn’t know. But my heart was pounding as fast as if I was running. I didn’t like it a bit because I knew I started to fall for him once again. But this time, there was no justification and lament that I was too young and with raging hormones and that none of this could be because he was my teacher and engaged. Not. We were both free people, and that scared me. What could I do to stop the possible pain he could cause me? I didn’t know. And I was so afraid to find out.


	4. Chapter 4 - In the middle of the night

The band played covers of many well-known songs. The best performed one by Annie was definitely You Oughta Know, which was originally sang by Alanis Morisette. They played for half an hour before taking a break. I stood up feeling a little bit drunk and found my way toward the toilet. When I closed myself in one of the cabins, I heard that the main door opened and closed. 

“I don’t know what I do wrong,” I recognized Mikasa’s voice. She sounded hurt, and I frowned.

“Mika, it’s alright. It’s not your fault that he’s such a douchebag,” another girl told her – probably Historia. “I believe he likes you a lot; he’s just… well… Eren.” 

I signed. Mikasa was hurt because Eren was blind. After Levi’s accusation of me being blind for not seeing it, I recalled Mikasa’s face from all the times she interacted with him. She was protective; she was kind; she was trying to show him how much she likes him. I’d say even love him because to fall in love at such an age was so easy. 

Girls continued talking when I left the cabin. They stopped all of a sudden, I smiled. “Don’t worry, my lips are zipped,” I giggled and washed my hands. “Men are idiots. Blind idiots. That won’t change. Sorry for saying that.”

“Miss Simmons,” Mikasa looked at me with teary eyes and hugged me. It shocked me a little, but I hugged her back. She didn’t have a mother in her life who would do that for her. And I understood why she didn’t go to Levi – he would probably kill that poor kid who was behind his niece's feelings. 

“It’s okay, Mikasa,” I said to her calmly. “I know it looks like it’s not, but it’ll get better. I promise,” I whispered while stroking her hair slightly.

The door opened again, and Hanji’s head appeared: “Oy, Nina, wha-“ she looked at Mikasa and me before storming in. “Is everything okay?”

Sasha replied to her: “Just boys, Miss Zoe. Just boys.”

“Oh,” she chuckled, “yeah, they can make us feel like fools, don’t they?”

All the girls nodded, and Mikasa let go of me. “Thank you, Miss Simmons. I’m sorry. Please, don’t tell Levi…”

“No worries, there’s never been a plan,” I winked and tapped her on her back. “Go enjoy the show. I believe that they will start to play soon again.” 

I stayed alone with Hanji, who was smiling deviously at me. I frowned: “What?”

“I saw you.”

“You saw me?” I asked and folded my hands on the chest. 

“No, not only you. I saw you. Both of you!” she made a step toward me and grabbed me by both shoulders. “Sooooo, fucking cute!”

I knew that the others wouldn’t unrecognize my moment with Levi, but I hoped that no one would make any statement about it. I sighed. It wouldn’t be Hanji, though. 

“You know, it’s true I asked him to ask you out with us, but I didn’t expect him to do it personally. He was supposed to do so on Friday, all of us should meet here. Have some fun,” she jumped up and down a little and clenched me even harder. “Plus, that moment of yours… I can’t believe that your teenage dream is becoming real!”

I pushed her away before answering: “Come on, Hanji. Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not! Trust me! I know him for so many years… I didn’t see him act like this for a while,” she smirked. “Plus, it would be nice to have another couple in our inner circle. We have to find someone for Moblit and Mike and…”

“Wait, wait, wait! Do you want to tell me that you and Erwin…”

She started to nod furiously and grabbed me again. This time I didn’t mind, so happy I was for her. “Oh my god, Hanji! Finally!”

“We didn’t tell the rest, but I just couldn’t keep it to myself when my favorite cousin is in the town, could I?!” 

I felt like a child when both of us started to jump up and down while laughing and smiling and screaming. Was it alcohol? Who knew, but I felt so alive I couldn’t stop. Not even when the door opened, and women started to pour in and out. I stood there, hugging Hanji thinking about her and Erwin. They knew each other since kindergarten; they were best friends in the world. He was her first love, and they were here for each other forever. It was just a question of time when they would find their way toward each other. 

“We should probably get back,” I murmured when the toilet got empty, and music started pouring inside through the walls.

“Yeah. But you know, Nina,” she pulled herself away, “it’s so nice to have you back.”

*

We sat back. Levi went to his first place. I realized it was because he wanted to have a good view of his niece. I sighed. What else could I expect from him? He probably saw that she cried and turned on his overprotective mode. However, now she was smiling, and she even waved in my direction. I waved back and turned toward the rest of my group. Levi was frowning in my direction.

“What?” I mouthed his way. He shook his head slightly. His eyes started to travel down my body, so painfully slowly, I almost felt his gaze physically before making their way back to my very red face. He smirked and looked back toward the band. They performed a song by Dua Lipa.

“One: Don't pick up the phone  
You know he's only callin' 'cause he's drunk and alone  
Two: Don't let him in  
You'll have to kick him out again  
Three: Don't be his friend  
You know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the morning  
And if you're under him, you ain't gettin' over him”

I leaned in my chair, moving slightly in the rhythm of the music. Hanji did the same on her chair. One more shot, and these two teachers would be super ashamed on Monday morning in front of their students. I giggled to myself. Maybe we can run away from this bar somewhere where our kids wouldn't come – something for older people. 

I took my glass and exed it. Mike raised his eyebrows, then he simply shrugged and did the same. I laughed and leaned toward my cousin.

“Hanji?”

“Nina?!” she shrieked back at me.

“Shouldn’t we go somewhere without children? I don’t want to embarrass myself,” I felt like the alcohol was slowly getting through my head. 

“Ugh, why not. Erwin?” she looked at her boyfriend, and I couldn’t help myself, but I started to jump up and down on my chair like a child. Yeah, that thing at the toilet was the fault of the alcohol, but I didn’t care. He gave Hanji look that was telling something like ‘you told her, didn’t you?’ and then he simply laughed and nodded. 

I straightened up and looked at Levi, who was watching me with a raised eyebrow. “What, Mr. Ackerman, are you ready to dance?”

“Tch,” he straightened up as well, “I’m too old for that shit, but I cannot bear to watch my niece anymore.”

I giggled. When we paid our bill, I waved to Mikasa and the others before leaving. Mike left us shortly after because he felt tired, so only four of us stayed. 

“Spill it out, Shitty-glasses,” Levi hissed with a smirk. “I cannot bear any more of your jumping and shrieking.”

“Erwin and I are together, yay!” she jumped od Erwin with whom she almost fell. Even Levi started to laugh with a genuine laugh, and he looked so much more beautiful than ever. I shook my head, trying to sober myself up a little, but it didn’t help at all. I signed and sat down on a curb.

“Oy, don’t sit there, brat. It’s filthy,” I heard Levi’s voice in between Hanji’s giggles. He sat down next to me.

“I thought that it’s filthy here,” I chuckled.

“It is.”

We sat there quietly for a few moments before he spoke up.

“I’ll be honest with you, Nina,” our eyes met. “I’m attracted to you as I wasn’t attracted to anyone in a really long time.”

“Oh,” I said. I didn’t know what else I could reply to confession like that. Did he really say that he was attracted to me, or was I so drunk that I couldn’t understand him correctly? I blinked a few times and looked behind us only to see Hanji and Erwin kissing like teenagers under the lamp. I laughed. Levi looked behind, as well.

“If they dated from the beginning, we wouldn’t be witnesses of such a thing.” He shouted toward them: “Oy, keep it for your room, you two!”

“Would you mind if we left as well?” Erwin asked with a slight blush on his cheeks. I wondered if it’s because of alcohol or sexual arousal. I shook my head. I didn’t need to think about the sexual arousal of the director of my school! 

“I wanted to go dance,” I moaned and put my face in my hands. I felt a slight tap on my back.

“I’ll take you somewhere, brat. Just stop whining. Get out of here, you two,” he added toward our friends who started to walk down the path.

“I’ll pay it off to you, Nina!” Hanji shouted before they disappeared behind a building.

Levi and I were left alone in the middle of a quiet street. I sighed and looked at him. He’s watching me as if waiting for what I’d do now. I swallowed and smirked.

“So Mr. Ackerman, where will you take me to dance tonight?”

*

We sat down into one of the boxes. I started to feel nervous about being left alone with Levi. We were quite the whole walk here. He was just observing me as if he expected me to vanish. The waiter put down our drinks we ordered when we came here, and I sipped a little from mine. 

“You seem nervous,” Levi broke the silence, and I exhaled my held breath.

“A little,” I agreed. I was looking down on my hand, which was grabbing the glass. He touched me lightly, and I let go of the glass. Our eyes met.

“Maybe I misjudged the situation,” he said, leaning toward me – our faces were super close, like kissing distance close. “I thought you’re attracted to me as well. But maybe I still saw that small brat in you.”

I blinked before realizing what he was talking about: “Oh my god! YOU KNEW!” I gasped. 

He chuckled: “I knew, of course. You’re practically shining anytime I walked near you.”

I blushed. I was so fucking embarrassed! I exed my glass and took a sip of coke. I didn’t know why I was surprised. Maybe because he looked so ignorant and bored most of the time? 

“Do you want another one?” he pointed toward mine glass, and I nodded slightly. He exed his drink and went toward the bar. 

I was sitting there, thinking as much as the alcohol cloud around my head allowed me to. It didn’t matter that he knew about my crush; the important thing was that he was attracted to me now. And I was so crazily attracted to him it almost hurt me physically. I wondered how he would react if I confessed my attraction.

I didn’t realize he was back till he put down glasses on the table.

“Thank you,” I whispered and took mine. “So…” I took a deep breath, “you’re attracted to me.”

He nodded and leaned in his seat. “I’m.”

“Okay,” I licked my lips and saw as his eyes followed that movement. I shivered. “Let’s say I’m attracted to you as well.”

He smirked: “Based on the way you sound and look like right now, you definitely are.”

I frowned but didn’t comment it: “What do you… expect?”

He sighed and leaned his elbows on the table. I thought he wouldn’t answer me at first, but after a deep breath, he did: “I don’t want anything serious. I have no time for that. but I’m a grown-up man; I have my needs I like to fulfill.”

“I believe that there exist women, who fulfill those needs of yours,” I sipped from my glass, still frowning.

“Indeed,” he smirked, “but there is something about you that I find hard to resist.”

“Hm,” I looked down on my hand, which was grabbing the glass once again. Okay, so he didn’t want a relationship. To be entirely honest, I wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship, either. But the fact was that I was slowly falling for him, and I was afraid I’d get hurt in the process. I didn’t know if I wanted to get physical with him if that meant I could fall in love with him, and I knew myself. I had a weird weakness for him. 

“I am not the type of woman who likes to share her lover,” I said quietly. He leaned in to hear me better, so I repeated myself: “I’m not the type of woman who likes to share her lover.”

“I see,” he smiled and cupped my cheek. “Who says I like to share my lovers?”

I frowned again: “I doubt that those women of yours don’t sleep with anyone else.” 

“That’s probably correct. But I don’t feel the same way about them as I do about you, Nina.”

“Stop the stupid talk,” I hissed at him, “you’re not in love with me. You want to fuck me; you should stop with that sweet talk.” 

He laughed: “The thing I want to say is that I’m willing for this fucking to be exclusive.”

“What’s the point in casual fucking when it’s exclusive?” I barked at him. He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me toward himself. I hissed. He was so close.

“To enjoy ourselves to the fullest,” he said with a hoarse voice and pulled me even closer. Our lips were a few millimeters apart. I bit down on my lower lip, and he moaned. “Don’t do that.”

“Why?” my throat was completely dried.

“Because when I see you do it, I want to bite you too.”

“Such a shame you can’t, huh?” I asked, feeling a little bit uncomfortable about being so close to him and also aroused. I could feel that I was getting wetter and wetter every breath I took. 

“Just tell me to fuck you. You won’t regret it, Nina,” the way he pronounced my name made me shiver every single time. I licked my lips, his grab on my hair got stronger. Oh my god, what should I do?

“Come on, Nina. Give in. I know that you desperately want to,” he leaned closer to me and kissed me under my ear. I gasped. He licked the spot and sucked. My whole body was trembling, and I couldn’t think straight with such physical stimulation. He knew what he was doing. I grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him closer, which resulted in his moan. 

“Levi,” I whispered, and he pulled away from me. I whined, but he stroked my face, which resulted in my smile.

“Give in, Nina.”

I knew that it was probably one of the worst ideas I had in the last few weeks, but I nodded. Levi smiled with that kind of smile, which made my knees tremble. Oh my god, what have I got myself into?!


End file.
